


letter-writing (Prompt 29 - Paternal)

by unmended



Series: FFXIVWrite2020 [29]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: #FFXIVWrite2020, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Gen, The Empty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:51:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26740177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unmended/pseuds/unmended
Summary: Thancred writes a letter.(to Minfillia; about him, about Ryne)(short fill for #ffxivwrite2020)
Series: FFXIVWrite2020 [29]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906036
Comments: 10
Kudos: 9
Collections: Emet-Selch's Wholesomely Debauched Bookclub FFXIV-Writes 2020 Collection





	letter-writing (Prompt 29 - Paternal)

* * *

Another quiet night in The Empty, huddled in the silent dead air it almost feels oppressive.

A small fire burns in front of them, Urianger tending to it absently.  
  
The Warrior of Darkness bid their goodnights some bells ago, exhausted from the day's events. Turns out even they had a hard time weathering being knocked around by Eden's manifestation of Titan.  
  
The day seemed to particularly take it's toll, and they wore deep circles under their eyes. Ryne did her best to stay awake as well, but retired shortly after. The excitement of restoring more elements to the Empty was certainly something to celebrate, but the mood was still somber. At least it was for Thancred.

He had a letter to write:

**_Dearest Minfillia,_ **

**_I..._ **

**_Gods this seems silly now, sitting down to do it, finally. The Warrior of Light says this... letter writing could help get my feelings sorted. Maybe also with the guilt. I don't know - I never see them write, so how helpful could it be, exactly?_ **

**_I'm stalling, aren't I?_ **

  
_  
_ "Thou art focused, Thancred - a missive?" Urianger says from across the fire.

"...Something like that." Thancred replies quietly, smiling a small quiet smile he reserves only for the other man, and returns to scratching away at the parchment.

**_I was never a particularly good guardian - that was F'lhaminn's wheelhouse. Turns out I was never a particularly good Scion either, but I'd like to think I improved somewhat in that regard, at the very least, post-possession._ **

**_What I'm saying is - I wanted to do better by you. You who were so patient and who deserved so much more. Who deserved everything. What happened to you, what you gave up was... It was so much, Minfillia..._ **

_  
  
_"...I heard that uh," Thancred says after a moment, a slight tremble in his voice. "that maybe it would help if I wrote things out. Things I was feeling. Maybe it would provide some clarity."

  
  
Urianger nods. "Pray do not let me interrupt." Thancred swallows and flexes his hand a couple of times, returning to parchment again.

  
**_And here we are, on the First. It's still hard knowing what happened to you and that I couldn't be there. Again. But - when I look at Ryne it does make it a little easier. You've met her, right? You spoke. How determined she is to see things through. How strong she is despite being scared. She's a lot like you, you know..._ **

**_We're going to have to leave this Shard soon and I cannot help but think that means I'll be abandoning her. Leaving something unfinished. She doesn't need my protection any longer but... Maybe. I still need her, in a sense._ **

Thancred sighs heavily. "This isn't helping."  
  
"Mayhap just...finish the missive regardless." Urianger says, prodding at the fire a couple more times and moving to sit closer. Thancred, flustered, pulls the parchment closer to him before realizing Urianger didn't mean to look over his shoulder. He continues.

_**I wish desperately that we weren't here on borrowed time. That our bodies weren't rotting at home without souls. But I'm gutted that I won't be able to stay and watch over Ryne the way I wasn't able to do for you, Minfillia - not because I want to make up for that wrong, but because I truly want to. For her, for Ryne.**  
  
**I'm not suitable to be a father, but I'd do my best for her, I think. I suppose I have you to thank for that too, don't I?** _

**_I can't tell if this letter is for you, or for me anymore, so I suppose it's run it's course. Thank you, Minfillia - I'll never forget your boundless heart or the sacrifice you made for this world and ours. Ryne has grown so profoundly since she inherited what you had - you'd be proud of the protector she's becoming. I... I am.  
  
Yours,_ **

**_Thancred._ **

With shaking hands he holds the letter away from himself while the ink dries, then folds it tightly and tucks it away into his coat.  
  


"Finished?" Urianger says after a moment.

Thancred nods, unable to think of anything to say on the matter, staring pointedly at the fire.

"Woulds't thou wish to try and send it?"

"I-" Thancred thinks for a moment. "I don't think there's anywhere to send. But it's alright." He smiles weakly. "I think it served it's purpose."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> wahoo. I used to have an exercise where i'd get a ttrpg character's head around something by writing a letter to an npc, or something like that. This is kind of similar. I was curious to see if it would work the same. Not sure, but here we are!
> 
> <3

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [【中文翻译】信](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27975328) by [unmended](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unmended/pseuds/unmended), [Yann0715](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yann0715/pseuds/Yann0715)




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